San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-22


was aroused from her reverie.
'See, Ninette," he said, 81 have sketched
you; imperfectly, true enough, but still II Is
a tolerably fair likeness"
She sprang to her feet and FASTENED to his
side.
The picture was as faithful as art could be
to such beauty as hers, and he placed it in
her hands with pardonabe pride.
Eagerly she Scanned it, and with varying
color A glow of excitement came into her
eyes Some powerful emotion, too deep for
his ken, moved her.
Truly, Father Antonio, am | like that?
Is il really picture of me" she asked, al
most breathlessly, as her cheeks Redeemed
and her large eyes darkened.
"You are better, far better than that" he
answered reverently. at is quite like you,
but still it is beyond the skill of any artist to
catch the strange subtleneSS one sees in you
an indescribable something which | doubt
il any other woman has"
The excitement in her face was displaced
by wOnderment and that in turn by con-
tentment Then the dreamy look came into
her eyes again, and a single tear rolled
down each of her cheeks.
The old man laid by his hat and bowed
his gray head before the rare young creature
he had Just transferred to his album. His
pencils fell from his fingers and lay between
his feet unnOticed.
at is a very beautiful picture" she muir
INJURED softly.
you are a very beautiful woman" he an
swered in the same tone.
A wOmanI A beautiful woman! The
words sent strange thrill through her.
She had never been called woman
before. The old mans picture and his
words had opened a new second world to
her. Suddenly and strangely her childhood
seemed dead to her. The old life was rolled
up, like a scroll, and put away forever She
was possessed of something which was
mingled Joy and regret. Never again could
she be as she had been before; she was a
woman now! Instinct, rather than reason,
told her what the word meant, but instinct
never tells one half enough, and she was all
unarmed for the truth which had been so
suddenly thrust upon her. Unarmed and I'M
ready to meet what it might require! A
child one instant and a woman the next
Such development is dangerous.
She glanced down at her bare feet with a
sense of shame she had never known before.
Her cheeks burned and her lashes dropped
as the thought came that her arms and
bosom were no better protected than her
feet.
The old man saw her confusion, under
stood and respected it.
you must be careful about the soldiers, "
he said softly.
81 will be very careful, Father Antonio"
she answered TREMENDOUSLY.
Still, she but half understood. To her
pure mind the only wOmanly shame in the
world was the shame of nakedness. An al
most sitting sense of pain came to the old
man because of the dangers which, sooner
or later, she must meet and do battle against,
dangers of which she was 80 pitifully ignOr-
ant
Would God guard her, he wondered, OF
would the dark one destroy her, as he had
so many innocents before her?
For the first time he cursed himself be-
cause of his poverty.
In sunny Italy, in the glad days of his
boyhOOd, they had said he had genius Per
haps they were right; he believed they were
for he was artist enough to judge by his OWL
work Justly and to appreciate its merits a.
tact Other artists, who were in every othel
sense inferior to him, could manage to sci
the veriest daubs for a hundred times the
price he could get for finished study which
was the work of weeks OF hunger, pain, and
patient toll
/. So he had always been poor.
Age had come upon him, and he was in NJ
way prepared for it. FOrsaking Italy, he haC
wandered into France, doing often, for
single coarse meal, pieces of art more won
derful than those which had made many
another famous throughout the world.
was years since he had been able to purchas
cOlors, and he was SO very poor that it wa
often impossible even to get paper and pen
ellis.
Never before had his poverty made hin
bitter.
Now If he but had the money his wastes
work should have brought him, he coult
save this innocent one from the snares AM
pitfalls which were ever at the feet of sucl
as she.
She was only peasants daughter, only ;
thoughtless child, before his picture and hi
words had awakened her dormant woman
hood but to him she was the supremest mar
father loves his daughter when course o
life is nearly run, and she Is all that cart
holds for him.
He glanced at her with deep sigh of re
gret at his inability to help her. She wa
looking at the sketch, which she still held Il
her hands.
ut is very beautiful picture" she mm
INJURED again, as if unconscious that she ha
said the same words before; and he repeate
his former answer.
"You are very beautiful woman"
That moment there was crash in tn
vines, and the soldier stepped forward.
you have told the truth, old man." h
said, 'she is certainly beautiful enough, BIT
have no doubt she prefers hearing it frOI
younger lips than yours"
What do you want?" demanded Antonio
what is that to yOu?''
Nothing, perhaps; and perhaps every
thing. II you are an honest man and worth
of your uniform, you will go away at ono
and leave this maid with me-"
mo honest man would leave so lovely
woman in the woods with such ragge
vagabOnd as you"
The old man frowned and drew himsel
up proudly.
Let me tell you, sir soldier, it takes NOR
than rags to make the vagabond, just as
takes more than bright buttons and war col
ors to make the man."
The soldier laughed.
Really, If you were younger and still s
insOlent, I'd run my sword through yOu-uI
less you proved better man with the blad
than l."
TRY it." retOrted Antonio.
Again the soldier laughed.
You bluster WE'LL" ne said. Come, oil
man, you but waste your rage on me; 1 al
good natures self. Besides, my purpose
an honest one. l doubt if you are fit con